Social Networking for Golf Courses
by Dennis Conly, Managing Director, Golfmax Inc.
Introduction
I've been involved in software application development for most of my working life, almost thirty years now. For the last fifteen years I've done a considerable amount of work with the golf industry, including trying to develop marketing techniques for golf courses using the internet.
Others of my age will understand the feeling that sometimes one's experience gets in the way of doing the right thing, or even learning new ways of doing things. For me, this has been the challenge of social networking. I was a little cynical about it all, a passing fad I thought.
Over recent months I've come to realize it's no passing fad. Yes there is much change and evolution to come, but social networking is here to stay, and guess what, I think it will be a great thing for golf courses.
What I attempt to do here is position social networking technology in the evolution of golf course internet marketing. I then put forward a case as to why there is a good fit between social networking and golf course marketing objectives. I conclude with a brief overview of the tools available and the commitments that are required to use them as effective sales tools.
Background
I was around when the internet was a brand new concept to golf courses, when almost no golf course had a website or an email address. Some might recall these as the good old days. The early years of the internet happened to coincide with very good times in the golf business. During this era, there were often more golfers than tee-times available. Golfers would often use speed dial techniques to grab a reservation for popular times. Discounts and giveaways weren't contemplated. Those were the days!
In reality, over-building and demographics have been the real culprits in the golf supply-demand equation, not the internet. But the internet, probably more now than ever, represents a key in marketing golf generally and individual golf courses specifically.
It is important to recognize that the internet has opened vistas of information and social activity that can serve to focus on, or detract from, playing golf. It has expanded everyone's awareness of options for spending time and money. Playing golf has lots of competition. If golf misses the social networking trend, it will not be a good thing.
Evolution
The first foray into the world of internet marketing for most golf courses was the creation of a website. The early websites tended to be static presentations providing information, some pictures, and a call to "give us a try". They were primarily directed to gaining the interest of potential customers. Higher end courses often invested heavily in the quality of their website presentation, but did not break from the static nature of it.
Over recent years, golf courses have increasingly used their website as a communication tool, for example, posting information about promotional offers. Many have used their website as a way of gathering email addresses for purposes of target marketing. Some have added online booking sevices.
There have been some problems with these recent trends.
The ongoing update of website content presents difficulty and expense for many golf courses. After all, most golf courses don't have a web designer/programmer on staff.
The idea of creating an email database and then blasting out reminders and promotional incentives has been undermined by declining email "open" rates, the improvement of spam filters, and the fact that young people have increasingly stopped using email altogether.
Online booking from the websites of individual golf courses continues to represent only a small fraction of the way tee-times are reserved. Golfers have become more likely to book online through "third party" sellers that take inventory from golf courses, discount the price to the consumer, and charge a sales fee to golf courses.
So now there is social networking. How can that improve internet marketing for a golf course?
Social Networking - The Fit
Golf course operators know that the most powerful marketing comes when customers recommend their course to someone else. Social networking will help create a "buzz" among your customers and potential customers that will be spread through their mouse clicks. It will help you engage, inform, and entertain your customers. It will help you create a loyal community of customers.
Social networking doesn't change the need to have a good website. It does mean that your website can grow tentacles, and be much less static because of new content originating from you, your staff and your customers.
I've come to the view that the most effective golf course websites will provide:
- An excellent first impression (homepage), with content that has been optimized for search engines, particularly Google.
- Convenient access to the basic questions - contact info, directions, fees, course info, how to book, etc.
- Outstanding presentations of the main features of your facility - course layout, clubhouse, tournaments, weddings, etc.
- Social networking opportunities.
The first three of these can be done "statically". That is, using a professional web designer to make excellent presentations and leave them, with only occasional updates.
The social networking components should be the opposite of static. They should be alive with current information about what is happening at your course - promotions, events, course conditions. They should be welcoming of content posted by customers themselves - pictures, videos, comment. In whole they should deliver the impression of an active, welcoming, friendly community of golfers who are rewarded for their participation and loyalty.
It is important to understand that social networking pages can be viewed through your website by people who have never created or logged into social networking accounts. Your website should encourage the investigation of your social networking pages by these people as well. For example, providing an open window to your Facebook page that can be viewed by anyone visiting your website homepage.
If online booking is available through your website, it should be easily found and well presented. Your social networking postings can serve as the catalyst to increase online bookings by delivering the reward for a promotional offer through an online reservation. For example, a message posted on a Blog and/or sent through Twitter can offer an incentive for making a online reservation and contain the link required to do so.
There appears to be an excellent fit here between the potential of social networking and the marketing objectives of a golf course. Let's take a look at the tools available and some recommendations on how to use them.
Social Networking - The Tools
Social networking tools have emerged in recent years and resulted from enormous technological breakthroughs in matters relating to information storage, band-width, computer processing speed, and database management. You need not be concerned with how it all works, but are welcome to be amazed that it does.
You need not be worried about the cost of the tools either. For the most part, social networking tools are available free of charge.
What does need to be understood is that a commitment to social networking is a commitment to a style of marketing. Just as a painter can't produce full results from a palette with one or two colours, the use of a variety of social networking tools is demanded to extract full benefit.
Photos and Videos
Not that long ago, if you wanted to publish some quality pictures or videos of your golf course, it would mean hiring a professional photographer with expensive equipment. Now, in their pockets, many of your customers (and staff) have all the equipment required to produce photography that will promote interest in your course.
Posting photos and videos on separate pages of your website is no longer the best way to go. A far better approach is to post photography to social network applications like You Tube and other photo galleries that allow contributions from a broad range of sources and promote viewing in a variety of ways. For example, by creating a branded You Tube channel you can post unlimited numbers of videos taken by your staff and customers. Those that contain pictures of your customers (for example, from an event or wedding) will draw particular attention and will be promoted by others without any effort on your part. These applications also allow people to easily comment, tweet, post to Facebook, etc., not only creating a viral effect but also improving your search engine rankings.
Recommendation: Create a You Tube channel and a branded photo album page. Encourage your staff and customers to post content. Never let a happy event (tournament, wedding, hole-in-one, staff hire, etc.) go by without a posting.
Blog
A blog can be used as a companion to your website, and is best used when it becomes the central source of information about what is going on at your course. A blog is normally free to create, can easily be branded, is easy to update with postings of all kinds, and can be controlled to restrict those eligible to post and/or comment. Selected blog postings can easily be posted through Twitter and Facebook, Blogs have their own web address (URL), and can be quickly identified as the More Info link in emails.
Recommendation: Create a branded blog with its own web address (URL) based on your website domain name, which contains current information about what is going on at your course (promotions, events, conditions, weather), provides information that is entertaining and informative (e.g. hole in one achievements, advice from your pro, etc.), and promotes customer comment and conversation.
Email and Twitter
Email is not yet dead but there is a new communications tool on the block. You should use both simultaneously for essentially the same purpose - delivering good news. Whether the good news is a special promotional offer, a new service, a service improvement, an award, or whatever - your messages should gain the reputation of always worth reading. Email message and tweets provide an excellent way to encourage online booking - e.g. Book online for foursome this week and receive a (reward).
Recommendation: Continue to gather email addresses from your website and start inviting people to follow you on Twitter. Use both tools simultaneously to deliver good news.
Potentially the most powerful of social networking tools, Facebook offers a powerful marketing opportunity for any golf course. Once the objectives and privacy settings are properly set, you can work your Facebook page to constantly engage your customers and deliver new sales. Facebook provides tremendous opportunity to virally spread your marketing messages. For example, when someone becomes a "friend" of your course or "likes" a posting other friends of that person will be aware of it.
Recommendation: Start a facebook page for your golf course and engage with your customers. Work the page virally to spread the marketing messages.
Social Networking - The Commitment
One of the great things about social networking is the cost of initial investment in the tools themselves - they are all free!
There are, however, resource implications associated with doing the job right.
Your golf course should be equipped with the equipment to take pictures and videos. Your staff need to be trained in using them. Most importantly, there is an investment of time. At least one person at your golf course needs to be charged with the responsibility of social networking coordinator. This person should be a decent creative writer, confident with social networking applications, and focused on sales objectives.
With an investment of a few minutes a day, social networking will deliver some great returns.